Love Drunk
by Tabenstein
Summary: Idaten was never all that good at kung fu, unlike his prodigal brother Daichi. Will that change with the introduction of a new scroll when his master decides to visit his old rival? Takes place "fourteen years ago." Back off hiatus, regular updates soon.
1. Chapter 1

Considering that this is my first fanfiction, I'm going to attempt to ask people to be kind with their reviews, and remain purely constructive. This is set to take place when the Five are around twelve or so, and are training with Master Shifu at the Jade Palace. So, Oogway's still alive and..yeah…things are good.

**Disclaimer time!** First off, I don't own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters, music, logos, etcetera. This is just for fun. Also, this is entirely fictional and any resemblance to real people or places in real life is coincidental. Now, on to the story.

* * *

**LOVE DRUNK**

**Chapter 1**

As Shifu brushed his name onto the scroll, he laughed a bit. It was a shock to him that an old friend, and most notably an old rival, would send him a message after so many years of not seeing each other. He rolled up the scroll and left his quarters.

The scroll was handed to Zeng, who looked at the intended recipient and the address on the parchment, and immediately took off in lopsided flight towards an area far from the Jade Palace: The Sān Zĭ Temple.

* * *

As Master Xiangmao read the scroll, he smiled to himself. After all these years, his good friend Shifu hadn't changed a bit. He continued to chuckle as he wrote a response to Master's Shifu's letter, partly from the witty comments he was writing and partly from old memories between him and the red panda master. He rolled up the scroll, and placed it to the side on his desk. His messenger was busy with errands in the village, so he would have to wait to send this letter back. He decided it was time he check up on his students. He had left them to train alone nearly four hours ago, and knew he was probably going to regret it.

The kung fu master opened the door and exited his quarters, making a right at the end of the hallway leading towards the kitchen. From there to the dining room, then from there to outside. He could hear the laughing the moment he got through the doors. Right away, he knew his students were sparring.

He entered the training hall and spotted them immediately at the other end: two of his four students and a few of their friends from the village were dancing around the ring, cheering on their friends and laughing. He scanned the miniature audience and saw one wolf and one large bear. His fears were realized as he heard things like "Careful, Idaten, you almost _blocked_ one!" and "Ruin him, Daichi!" coming from the village children.

He frowned as he hurried his way over to the makeshift ring, knowing full well who was fighting. His two little tigers, the angry and the shy. A living example of Yin and Yang: two complete opposites living together in perfect harmony.

Well, most of the time.

Some of the villagers called them "The Terrible Two." Others called them "Shuang," or the "Pair." Xiangmao simply called them "Idaten" and Daichi," and very shortly, "Done" and "For."

* * *

Shifu approached the training hall, hearing the shouts and yells of his students as they practiced kung fu. He peered inside from the corner.

Tigress was closest, practicing her Hung Gar form with impressive precision. Crane was practicing deflecting arrows and various other projectiles on the Jade Bowl. Monkey was practicing staff movements. Mantis was making runs through the forest of Wing Tsun dummies, and Viper was practicing on the rings overhead. All of them had made so much progress, and Shifu was confident in his teaching abilities and that his students would easily overcome Xiangmao's.

"Students," Shifu called them over to him. They all immediately stopped what they were doing upon hearing the sound of his voice and rushed over, hand in fist and bowing, asking "Yes, Master?" in perfect unison.

He smiled. It made him glad to see his students' skills progressing so rapidly. He overcame his pride in his students to tell them that it was about time they started getting cleaned up and prepared for dinner.

"But, Master," said Monkey, "it's not dinner time yet."

"No worries, Monkey. Tonight, I have special news to deliver at dinner." Shifu turned around and grinned as he walked away. "It's early tonight. My treat."

* * *

Idaten's face was drowned thickly in blood. Obviously his own, since Daichi hadn't a scratch on him. The gash on Idaten's forehead applied new coats of blood continuously, threatening to mask his face in crimson shame until the bitter end. He leaned over, cradling a limp, dangling left arm. Broken, no doubt. He spat a mouthful of blood on the floor, and then groaned when he tried to stand upright at attention, failing and leaning over again.

Once all of the village children had been chased out of the temple, Xiangmao approached his students. They all stood in a line with their backs against the wall, at attention. Well, all except for Idaten, who did his best without hurting himself. They looked like a criminal lineup, which Xiangmao found appropriate considering how much trouble the four boys were in. He paced before them slowly, a hybrid look of frustration, disappointment, and searing anger on his face.

He stopped in front of the boy farthest left on the chain gang, or whom he decided to mentally dub "Contestant Number 1." He was a huge Amur brown bear that was trying really hard not to look intimidated. The bear looked over at Idaten, who just smiled, then gagged and spat out another mouthful of blood.

This large furry fellow was Medvèd, a brown bear from Russia. He was brought here to train with Master Xiangmao by his father, who is a close personal friend of Master Xiangmao. At the age of fifteen, the bear was almost fully-grown, standing eight feet off the ground. He weighed a good nine hundred pounds of pure muscle, and sported large claws that were filed down close to his paw; Master Xiangmao believed it was dishonorable to fight with claws, if you have them. He got this from Master Shifu.

"Well, considering this was a rather brutal sparring match, I can only assume that this, Medvèd, was your idea." Master Xiangmao had to look straight up just to see into the massive bear's eyes, who looked very surprised.

"Normally, Master, you would be correct…" The bear spoke with a thick Russian accent, and his voice seemed to crack a little bit. He has said before that the only people he's ever been afraid of were his father and Master Xiangmao. "…But it wasn't my idea this time."

Xiangmao sidestepped slightly to stand in front of the next student in line: Daichi. The older of the two tiger brothers, Daichi was definitely more violent and fought with much more aggression than his younger sibling. Daichi was also six years older than Idaten, and much stronger. He was close to becoming a master of Hung Gar, or Tiger style.

"Daichi-" started Master Xiangmao before Daichi interrupted him.

"Master, it was not my fault. Talk to Idaten." Daichi was obviously irritated with this entire ordeal. Enough to not use respect when talking to his Master, though? Idaten always thought Daichi had a death wish when he would do things like that, but oddly enough, Master never seemed to care.

Master Xiangmao, as predicted, ignored Daichi's lack of respect. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that the youngest of all four of you would actually decide to fight the oldest? Idaten's not stupid, and he's not impulsive like the rest of you…" Xiangmao was cut off again, this time by Idaten.

"Master, it was my idea." Idaten tried again to stand upright, but, once again, failed. Xiangmao passed Eckzahn, the wolf, and moved in front of Idaten, waiting for Idaten to look up at him. He didn't say anything. He waved his hand towards the door, signaling the other students to leave. Medvèd, Daichi, and Eckzahn all left, hurrying quickly to the temple to "pray."

* * *

Shifu sat down at the table outside Ping's noodle shop where his other students were sitting. Mantis was already on his third bowl, as was Monkey. Those two inhaled their meal like it was their last. They really did love Ping's Secret Ingredient Soup.

They were served by an overenthusiastic young panda bear, who was just a bit too excited to tell them his name. Shifu smiled and helped the bear with his huge load of noodles and beverages.

Tigress knew that they only came down to the village for special occasions, and never just because Shifu felt like it. It wasn't anyone's birthday, this she was sure of. This was the part of the year with no holidays, so there were no festivals or celebrations for weeks to come. Nobody had done anything outrageous or ridiculous (in good ways), so this dinner wasn't congratulatory. Her curiosity, being a cat, killed her inside, and she just needed to know.

"Forgive me Master for asking, but what is so special today that we came into the village to eat?" Tigress wasn't even finished her first bowl yet. She ate so slowly and carefully that Shifu doubted she'd even finish that before they had left.

"Let's wait until we're all done eating." Shifu was starving; he had skipped lunch again. He promised himself he'd start eating lunch again if it meant being this hungry by dinnertime. Although he wanted to tell his students immediately some of the best news he's had for them in a long while, his patience accomplished what he wanted: he got Tigress to eat faster.

* * *

"Why?" asked Xiangmao as he took the cloth out of the boiling water. He placed some antiseptic on the cloth and placed it against Idaten's forehead. Idaten inhaled sharply from the sting as the antiseptic and the heat from the cloth began to clean his gash.

"Why what, Master?" Idaten knew full well what he did wrong, but he really didn't want to talk about it. He knew he would be scolded for it eventually, if not right now.

"You know that you are forbidden to do sparring of any sort outside of adult supervision. Namely mine. You also know that you are not permitted to bring any of those village children here during your training."

"The other kids weren't my idea, Master. Eckzahn and Daichi invited them up shortly after you went to your quarters. We weren't training at the time, though."

"I'll get all of that out of them. What I'd rather know is why you decided to spar with your brother, someone that is stronger and more aggressive than you are. Tell me, did you even try that scroll I showed you?"

Daichi and Idaten are constantly rivaling. Daichi studies one form, the Hung Gar form, or Tiger style as it is more commonly known. He is proficient in that style and only that style. Idaten tries to study all of the styles and become more well-rounded. So, while he knows a bit about each style, he's not proficient in any of them. When he fights, he always loses. When he fights against his brother, he always loses the use of something for a few weeks. Master Xiangmao showed Idaten a scroll a while back that he believes could be used to defeat Daichi, and stop the constant ridicule and torment that Idaten gets.

"No, Master."

"Then what did you use? What was the purpose of that match?"

"Well, I was practicing Hung Gar all week, and I thought I could do well against him…"

"Idaten," said Xiangmao, "Daichi is six years older than you, and at least twenty years ahead of your Hung Gar training. Besides, you know what happens when two Tigers fight. It's bad news."

Idaten put his head down; he hated it when his master was disappointed in him. After his family disowned him, he had no one left but Master Xiangmao. He even accidentally called Xiangmao "father" on occasion. This didn't go over well with Daichi, who was still loved and cherished by their real family for bringing all the honor to their name. He becomes greatly angered when Idaten does this.

"You should have used that scroll's technique. With all the progress you made with me, I'm sure that for at least the first time, Daichi wouldn't be able to touch you." Xiangmao finished putting Idaten's arm up in a splint. He helped Idaten stand up, and they both walked into the kitchen where all of the others were waiting.

Medvèd helped Idaten into a chair, while Daichi and Eckzahn snickered between themselves. Medvèd shot them a look that made them stop cold. He may only be fifteen to Daichi's eighteen and Eckzahn's seventeen, but his largeness was enough to scare anyone. And to be pretty honest, who wouldn't be intimidated by a bear?

"So how much trouble are you in?" asked Daichi as Idaten sat down.

Master Xiangmao answered for him. "Not as much as you're in."

"Oh, come on!" Daichi shouted in protest. "It was his idea!"

"And you're almost a master, who should know better."

"You aren't even going to punish him?!"

"I think he's been punished enough."

"So why should I get in trouble?"

"Not just you. Eckzahn, too."

Now Eckzahn was into it. "What? Why me?" Idaten didn't know exactly where it was, but he knew that Eckzahn was from Europe, and spoke a very prominent accent from that area. Eckzahn and Daichi were really close, perhaps even closer than Idaten and Daichi's brotherly bond. Idaten didn't mind, as he saw a close friend in Medvèd, and he learned much from the bear. They sparred together, learned together, trained together, and lived together. How else do close friends become closer?

Xiangmao sighed. While he could train these boys to be the most efficient kung fu fighters known in this half of China, he couldn't teach them respect or manners. He wondered how Shifu did it. Master Oogway did it in such a simple way. Perhaps he could have Master Oogway speak to the boys?

"That is for later on, anyway." Xiangmao sat down at the dinner table and picked up his pair of chopsticks. The others did the same; they were not permitted to eat, or even lift their chopsticks, until their master had done so. After he began to eat, they all followed suit, and the sounds of eating filled the small room.

Xiangmao cleared his throat, which caused the boys to stop eating and look at him. He had no idea how the boys would take this news, as it was nothing like they had ever experienced before.

"I have an announcement, students. After Idaten's wounds have healed…" This statement was met with a groan, a snicker, and an angry glare.

"…we will be going on a little trip."

* * *

"Now, for that announcement," said Shifu, causing all the students to stop eating and look up at him. They were excited, as it was not often that their master shared any form of news with them. They wondered what it could possibly be.

"In a month's time, we will be having…visitors."

The simplest way to explain their reaction was…well, pure and utter shock. But in a good way. They immediately lost control, talking amongst themselves and asking Shifu incoherent questions that they blurted out with half the efficiency that they would if their jaw was broken. He lifted his hand to quiet them, which they immediately did.

"We will be visited by an old friend of mine and his students. His name is Master Xiangmao. He is also a red panda, and we trained together under Master Oogway. He has four students: a bear, a wolf, and two tigers." This last statement intrigued Tigress. While she had seen other tigers before, none of them were training in kung fu. She couldn't wait to spar with them, to train with them, and, of course, to beat them in a sparring match. She envisioned herself and two other tigers mastering the Hung Gar style together as one entity, and becoming masters at an early age.

"Where are they coming from?" asked Monkey, snapping Tigress out of her daydream.

"A place far to the south of here called the Sān Zĭ Temple."

* * *

Well, that's it for chapter one. Let me know what you think with the whole review bit. I think you all know what to do there. If I get enough positive reviews, I guess I'd have no choice to continue. If I'm threatened to have my life removed with the use of common household items and dime-bag hardware, I promise I'll stop writing. Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Whoever read the first chapter probably knows what's going on, and if you haven't read the first chapter, well…that's very easily remedied. Just read it. It's good, I swear.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters, music, logos, etcetera. This is just for fun. This fanfiction is just that – fiction - and any resemblance to real people or places in real life is coincidental.

The OC's, however, are mine. If you want to use them, just ask me. I really don't mind. Just let me know.

* * *

**LOVE DRUNK**

**Chapter 2**

As the days passed, Idaten's cuts and bruises healed up as expected. Within eight days, there was no evidence of any fight between the two brothers, except for Idaten's busted arm.

Xiangmao decided that they should depart soon. He promised to be there a month from when Shifu was expected to receive the letter, and it took three and a half weeks to walk from their location many miles south of the Jade Palace. He knew that Shifu's letter arrived three days before, so as he re-bandaged Idaten's arm, he announced to the students the plan of action. When they ran off to prepare, he finally realized that he had some calm time alone. It was the first time in a while, and it seemed much too...peaceful.

The kung fu master stepped outside to fit in some meditation as his students gathered their belongings and the supplies they were to take with them. _Enough pairs of training clothes for a week. One formal outfit. Two pairs of shoes: one for training and one formal. Hygienic products. One personal sparring weapon. Anything extra was permitted, but they were responsible for carrying. No training equipment, as the Jade Palace has the best in the land._ That would keep them busy for a while.

As he sat in peace, meditating among the beautiful garden he and his first generation of students planted over thirty years ago, Xiangmao felt he had the calm ambience necessary to begin wondering what he would do with Idaten. The boy, intelligent as he was, was just simply incapable of progressing in the styles that Xiangmao usually taught. And because the boy tried to be well rounded and be proficient in all of the styles, he generally lacked the skill acquired by focusing on just one. Xiangmao had sent a letter to Shifu many months ago, requesting a certain scroll from him. Shifu sent it right away, and Xiangmao showed it to Idaten. While he studied it, Xiangmao has no idea how skilled he is at the new style, as Idaten seems to refuse to use it. Xiangmao wasn't sure if he was waiting for the right time, or if he was just stubborn. He promised himself that he would talk with Shifu and Oogway about it at the Jade Palace.

* * *

Idaten looked around his small room, trying hard to focus on packing. Xiangmao had told them of the Jade Palace, of Master Shifu and of Grandmaster Oogway, and perhaps most intriguing to Idaten, of the students training there. He knew there was a crane, many of which lived in their area. There was a viper. A viper clan lived nearby, so he knew about those. He had seen monkeys before, but never a languor. He didn't quite know what exactly a mantis was, either, but he was intrigued nonetheless.

Perhaps what caught his attention most was the talk of a tiger. Another tiger for him to fight? This very idea disturbed him. He hated fighting his brother, and he didn't think he could handle the aggression of another well-trained Hung Gar fighter. He had asked what gender, but Xiangmao just smiled. This led Idaten to believe it was a girl. There were hardly any girls in the area, and Idaten always hung around with guys. Since he was twelve, he was beginning to become interested in girls, and was intrigued to actually have the opportunity to just talk to one.

He shook off that thought so he could focus on packing. Six pairs of training clothes, plus the ones he set aside to wear for tomorrow. His formal uniform was neatly folded and placed inside the bag. Two pairs of shoes…? He looked down at his bare paws; he didn't wear shoes. He just decided to skip that step.

After he had finally packed, he chose his favorite wax wood staff from the staff rack in the training hall and placed it in the corner of his room next to his bag. Blowing out the candles that lit his room, he sat comfortably in the full Lotus posture in the darkness of his room and got in some meditation before bed.

* * *

They departed early the next morning, while it was still dark. By the time the morning gong sounded in the village, Idaten figured they were already five or six miles away. The air was cold that morning, and a thick mist surrounded the village. The sun provided little warmth, and only succeeded in lighting their way. As they exited the village, an old man warned them that the weather was a bad omen, and that they would do well to stay in the village until it cleared. Xiangmao just smiled at the man, bowed, thanked him for his kindness, and left the village.

Around noon that first day, the weather began to clear up. The sun was shining, the cold was gone and the mist had dissipated. Butterflies could be seen feasting on the fields of flowers, and birds could be heard singing their song. Their tune was so enticing that Idaten couldn't help but join in with a song from his childhood. He smiled a devilish smile as he knew the song irritated Daichi to no end.

"Liăng zhī lăo hŭ…" began Idaten.

"Idaten…" warned Daichi.

Idaten pretended like he didn't hear him. "Liăng zhī lăo hŭ…"

Daichi was getting visibly irritated now. He turned around and walked backward so he could face his younger brother.

"Păo de kuài, păo de kuài!" Idaten laughed, then let out a surprise gasp when Daichi tackled him to the ground, put him in a headlock, and rubbed his knuckles against Idaten's skull.

"Okay, okay!" yelled Idaten, laughing. Daichi stood up, then helped his brother up. They laughed and walked arm in arm like two drunkards for a while.

This made Xiangmao smile. He could barely remember a time when the two brothers got along that well. They used to run around like best friends, wreaking havoc on the temple and the village. The song was something Xiangmao's wife, may she find happiness in the next world, would sing to them whenever they'd get all rambunctious, and they'd slow their pace to listen to the song, which was always long enough for her to convince them to eat, or sleep, or take baths, or whatever else.

Idaten felt that his first time out of the temple was the best in his life, and one of the more important moments regarding his future, although he couldn't quite put his finger on the reason why. The more he thought about it, the harder it became to concentrate on eating, or walking, or whatever it was that he was doing at the time. Master Xiangmao scolded him once for his daydreaming after almost falling into a pit. So, instead of sleeping at night, Idaten stayed up longer and longer, meditating peacefully surrounded by the sounds of nature.

* * *

The trip was long and, eventually, tiring to everyone. Even Idaten got bored of the walking. He wanted to see the legendary Jade Palace, meet the famed Masters Oogway and Shifu, and train with the students that studied under their supervision. The trip became a burden on them all; no matter how enjoyable it was in the beginning.

After many long hours a day spent walking, for many seemingly endless days, one morning they came upon a string of multiple rope bridges connecting unfathomably tall freestanding rock pillars. It was called, according to Master Xiangmao, The Thread of Hope, and was the only way into the Valley of Peace. From there, they could reach the Jade Palace in a couple days, if they kept their pace.

Master Xiangmao went first, easily making it through the first few bridges before turning around and realizing his students weren't behind him, but instead trying to get Medvèd to actually go across the bridge. Now, we can't really blame the big bear. He was never stupid. He's a big guy, weighing in at around five or six hundred pounds of pure muscle, and these rope bridges creaked and moaned under the weight of Master Xiangmao, a tiny little red panda of maybe forty pounds at best. Medvèd wasn't even entirely convinced they could hold anyone heavier than his master until Eckzahn walked across without incident, muttering about Medvèd's "intolerable fear of heights."

Finally, after much convincing and even a few threats, Medvèd carefully stepped out onto the rope bridge, prepared to jump back onto solid ground if things got out of control. Realizing that the bridge was sturdy enough to hold his weight, he ran faster than any bear ever could across the bridge and jumped onto the first stone structure. Idaten and Daichi crossed last, having much fun with swaying and tilting the bridge to trip up and frighten the other. They vowed to each other that one day, they would spar atop a rope bridge somewhere, and the other promised victory.

* * *

It took them eight hours to get Medvèd across all of the rope bridges, but towards the end his fear began to dissipate, and he crossed the last ones as smoothly and calmly as Xiangmao did. Once they had conquered the challenge of getting everyone across the Thread of Hope, they sat down for some much-deserved lunch. Then it was back to the walking. They continued on a bit through the night in hopes that they might actually make it there faster. When they could no longer go on, they slept, then awoke the next morning and ate breakfast as they walked. The day after, they saw the Valley of Peace, and once they got closer, they could see the Jade Palace perched on the mountain just before the sun started to make its slow decent behind the mountains, watching over the village.

The village was lively and upbeat. People were everywhere, either in the market or at a shop somewhere buying lunch, or even just taking a stroll. Children were running around, playing such games as Hide and Seek or Prison Break. Some were even pretending that they were great kung fu warriors, saving the village from the evil "Tai Lung" and getting the girls. Idaten wasn't quite sure who Tai Lung was, but considering the children would defend the village against him, he was sure Tai Lung was bad.

Since they hadn't eaten anything that day to make better time, Medvèd pleaded with Xiangmao to allow them to stop to eat. They passed this noodle shop on the way in, and they all then lusted for a bowl of delicious noodles, cooked to perfection. Xiangmao refused the temptation, though, and much to Medvèd's disapproval kept walking to reach the Jade Palace quickly. They were already at the bottom of the stairs, and everyone quickly began to ascend. That is, everyone except for Medvèd.

"Aw, man…you've got to be kidding me!" Idaten heard as he looked back and saw Medvèd start to climb up after them.

* * *

On the other side of the door, they could hear the sounds of kung fu practice and the faint whisper of a flute in the background. Master Xiangmao stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Nothing.

Again he knocked, and nothing.

Medvèd stepped forward and knocked on the large door as hard as any bear could. The chaos from the other side of the wall ceased, and the door began to open. The students looked, excited, through the doorway to see…nobody. At first they were confused, until they looked down.

There he was: the famed Master Shifu. The greatest kung fu teacher China had ever known, and ever would know until Wong Fei Hung. Famous for many numerous things, including the caliber of his students, his own skills as a martial artist trained by the legendary Grandmaster Oogway, and perhaps less positively, the infamy of Tai Lung, his adoptive son. Idaten couldn't help but think to himself, _He's much shorter than I imagined._ Then again, he was a red panda, and red pandas aren't very well known for being large creatures.

Master Shifu and Master Xiangmao greeted each other with a bow, then an embrace that seemed as though they were brothers who hadn't seen each other for decades. Well, it was half right.

"After all these years, you still look the same," said Xiangmao with a smile.

"I could say the same for you, but you got older," Shifu replied with a laugh. "Come in, come in, quickly. My students are waiting."

They all hurried inside the large doorway leading to the Palace, where a line of four students were standing. Idaten counted, then recounted, just to make sure…one was missing. Upon further review of the students, he realized it was the tiger. He became slightly disappointed. He had grown really anxious about meeting this tiger, and was looking forward to learning from another of his own species.

"Students," said Master Shifu with so much authority it may have scared Xiangmao's students, though none of them showed it. "These are the guests I mentioned. This is Master Xiangmao, a good friend of mine from our training days." He held his hand out to Master Xiangmao, who nodded.

"These are my students," continued Shifu.

"Monkey." Monkey made his present known with a simple wave and a smile.

"Viper." She brought her tail up to her head for a salute.

"Crane." The large bird nodded from under his enormous hat.

"Mantis." There was nobody there…until they looked down. Mantis just waved his…thingies…and nodded.

"And, of course, Ti…" Master Shifu finally acknowledged that his tiger was not present, then looked around the immediate vicinity for her, to no avail. "…gress." He looked back at his students, shouting furiously in his mind _Where. Is. She? _His students just shrugged their shoulders, apparently looking just as confused as Shifu. It was one of those 'she was here a second ago' type of moments, if you will.

They all then heard a furious yell, and a loud breaking sound. It came from the training hall, and Shifu quickly ran up there to make sure the culprit, obviously now to everyone known as Tigress, wasn't hurt. Instead, he found a room covered with splintered wood and metal spikes. Tigress was standing in a striking position, panting heavily. Shifu looked around at all the wood chunks, and realized what had happened. Tigress had just obliterated one of the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion, sending piece of wood and metal spikes in an…everywhere…sort of direction.

Shifu was speechless. Nobody had ever been able to do that, not even him. As impressed as he was, and as proud as he was, he fixed his demeanor and spoke. "Now that we've found you, this is Tigress. The tiger was still breathing heavy, hands on her knees hunched over, just lifted her hand in a half-assed wave-type greeting. Shifu waited for her to catch her breath, then she joined the ranks of her fellow students.

"Master Xiangmao, why don't you introduce us to your students? Then you can go to the guesthouse to rest if you wish; you have had a long journey."

"Yes, that would be lovely, thank you." Xiangmao stretched a bit, he back cracking in the process. "Right then."

He held his hand out to Medvèd, who stood up straighter, a bit nervous. "This is Medvèd, a student of mine, the son of a friend from the North." Medvèd nodded in agreement. He continued down the line. Of course, Idaten was last. He sighed and patiently waited his turn.

"This is Eckzahn, son of a friend from the West." The wolf did a less-than-exuberant wave as he continued to look at the ground.

"These two are my only local students. These two tigers have caused me much trouble over the years, but it'd be a much different place without their bickering," said Xiangmao with a laugh. Daichi groaned at what his master just said, while Idaten snickered at Daichi's disgruntlement.

"Daichi." Xiangmao pointed to the older brother. "And Idaten." Idaten gave a short, quick bow. As he came up from the bow, he got his first good look at Tigress. She seemed to radiate beauty, the way the sun was hitting her as it set. He saw the fiery glow of her eyes as she scanned the ranks of the students of the Sān Zĭ Temple. Her eyes came to rest on his, and he quickly looked down at the ground, embarrassed that she knew he was looking at her.

Shifu summoned a servant of the palace to help them with their things and direct them to the guesthouse. The other students dispersed, all heading their separate ways to continue training before dark. Tigress went back to the training hall, and once she was out of view, Idaten fell over backward.

* * *

As the group of southerners entered the guesthouse, they all began to immediately set up sleeping arrangements to get to bed quickly. Idaten couldn't focus on anything…he was infatuated with how she looked…such a beautiful face, form, amazing eyes…he didn't know what he was thinking! She was a girl, and he didn't feel anything for girls…did he? No! Girls were still annoying, yappy, talkative, and just there to pick on, as all twelve-year-old boys thought. But there was something about Tigress…he couldn't put a finger on it.

By the time Idaten snapped back to reality, everyone in the guesthouse was already asleep. It wasn't even dark yet, as the sun was still setting. He decided he'd get some practice in before bed, and possibly even some food if he could manage. Maybe he'd even try and find Tigress and talk to her…he couldn't just avoid her the entire time they'd be staying there…could he?

* * *

All right, you all know what to do. Review, then wait for the next chapter. I also apologize for such a long wait. I've been really busy with music-related stuff and percussion ensemble, so I've had narrow slits of time with which to work on this. I promise that from now on, I'll post more frequently if I can. Cheers!


	3. Chapter 3

Things are starting to pick up now…fun!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters, music, logos, etcetera. This is just for fun. This fanfiction is just that – fiction - and any resemblance to real people or places in real life is coincidental.

* * *

**LOVE DRUNK**

**Chapter 3**

Idaten poked his head out from the door of the training hall to see that it was empty. He sighed with relief, and walked inside. Even though he wanted to talk with Tigress, he was nervous, and felt unworthy, and decided that it'd be best to avoid her if at all possible. As he removed the splint from his now-unbroken arm, he decided he'd start off slow: some tai chi, followed by hard qigong, some sets from that scroll Master Xiangmao showed him, then finish up with some more tai chi.

As he went through the twenty-four forms of the Yang Style of tai chi, he heard someone enter the training hall. He had a feeling it was Tigress, but he just pretended not to hear. If she approached him, he'd talk to her gladly, but not unless she wanted him to. As he continued through the forms, he realized the visitor was focused solely on watching him. He decided he'd finish the form set, and then confront the other occupying entity in the hall.

He turned upon finishing to see not a strikingly beautiful young tiger, but instead an old and wrinkly tortoise. He recognized who it was immediately.

"Grandmaster Oogway!" gasped Idaten as he knelt before the sagely tortoise, who had that familiar smile he always carried with him. He placed his staff against Idaten's chest and lifted him back up to a standing position.

"There is no need for that. Now, it would seem as though you know who I am, but I don't know your name." That smile was so inviting, it helped Idaten relax the tension he had built up. The old tortoise spoke very slowly, but clearly and still full of life.

"My…my name is Idaten, sir."

The old master smiled even more. "You are a student of Master Xiangmao's, yes?"

Idaten just nodded.

"My old student, such a successful tutor, from the looks of you," said the tortoise. "Tell me, Idaten, are you the one for which he requested scroll number 836?"

Idaten simply nodded again.

"My, my…I was right about you being young, then. Tai Lung was eighteen when he learned that scroll, and you mustn't be any older than Tigress! Did he tell you why you are to learn that style?"

Idaten told Oogway of the times he's fought his brother and fellow students, and how his attempting to master all the styles resulted in him being terrible. He said that Master Xiangmao showed him that scroll because it was a rare style, and was automatically an advantage against over half of the kung fu-fighting world, which Oogway promptly agreed with.

"Your master knows best," he said with a smile. "You will have to demonstrate what you know to me sometime. Perhaps tomorrow?"

Idaten was thrilled. The chance to learn with Grandmaster Oogway was not a privilege handed out to everyone. He realized he could be one of the very few, and nodded excitedly.

Oogway smiled. "Good. I'm looking forward to it, Idaten. It's getting late, though, and I must go to meditate. I expect you will be training here tomorrow?" Upon seeing Idaten's nod, Oogway smiled and left the training hall. Idaten liked the old master. He made you feel comfortable around him, unlike his own master.

He began the hard qigong process upon finding a bundle of bamboo rods in the hall. Repetitively and painfully, he beat himself all over with the rods until he bled. While it hurt to move, and hurt even more to keep going, he did until he could no longer even hold the rods. He knew it hurt now, and would pay for it in the morning, but he knew that by the time his skin healed up, it would be as hard as stone. Since there was nobody around to help with the deep-tissue part of qigong, he decided he'd move onto the sets of scroll 836 in the solitude of the training hall.

* * *

As he cooled down his workout with the Yang style of tai chi again in the darkness of the nighttime, he heard someone enter the hall, then stop to watch him as he went through the set. He just assumed it was Oogway again and continued through his sets, paying no mind to the other life in the training hall, until he turned on his twenty-third form and saw Tigress standing there, watching him intently. Needless to say, he fell over.

Tigress came over to help pick him up. As she grabbed his arm and lifted, Idaten felt as though he would fall back over again, but resisted this and instead helped her to lift his body off the floor.

"Thanks," he mumbled, keeping his eyes to the floor. He knew he'd lose his ability to talk if he looked up and saw her beauty. He just kept looking at the floor. But…how could he not look at her? Reluctantly, he looked up at her face, and she was smiling faintly.

Oh, what a smile!

Seeing her smile made him smile, too. They stood there smiling, neither one daring to say a word before the other. Tigress finally broke the silence with a laugh.

"What?" asked Idaten, puzzled.

"The way you just kind of…fell over. It was funny." She continued to giggle.

"Huh? Oh…yeah, I guess it was," replied Idaten with a chuckle.

"It's the first time I've ever seen anyone mess up tai chi," she teased.

"Well, if you hadn't scared me!" laughed Idaten.

"I'm Tigress." She bowed in front of him, fist in palm.

"I know." Idaten mimicked her bow, with his own introduction. "I'm Idaten."

Tigress rose from her bow. "I know, too."

"I guess that's what we get for letting our masters introduce us, eh?" said Idaten as he righted himself.

"I guess so," she agreed.

* * *

The two continued to talk for a while before deciding they wanted some fresh air. They walked around the entire grounds before passing the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, which Idaten was intrigued with. Tigress told him how Oogway planted it there many years ago, and that he believed the peach tree had magical powers of healing and goodness.

Idaten approached the spot under the peach tree that Oogway most commonly meditated at, and sat down. He was in awe, he couldn't believe it…he was sitting in the same spot that Oogway did!

"This is wild…" said a mostly-speechless Idaten. "There can't be too many people in all of China that can say they've sat in Grandmaster Oogway's spot!"

"I guess not." Tigress sat down next to Idaten. Even though it was dark out, it wasn't late. Tigress had actually just come from dinner when she found him in the training hall. It was a sign of winter coming, this early lateness, which disappointed Idaten as he realized that they would leave sooner than expected to avoid the ugly traveling conditions of winter travel, and that meant that he'd have less time to get to know Tigress like he wanted to.

As they sat there and talked, he began to see why people go their whole lives just looking for their "better half." He realized why people would go through so much for a girl, why people would die for their love.

_Love_. What a peculiar word…he had long despised the word. Rejection from, and being disowned by, your own parents can do that to someone. He then remembered a conversation with an old man at the market while running errands for Xiangmao at age six.

* * *

_The old man had been talking of love with a woman to another man, and Idaten had never heard of love before. He was devoid of all knowledge concerning the subject, and if there's one thing he doesn't like, it's not knowing. So he approached the man and asked._

"_What is love?"_

_The man just stood there for a minute, looking at Idaten like he was a Hun. He then smiled, and then knelt down to look Idaten in the eyes and he said, "__Love is a state of mind: a pointless human emotion that masks the true way of how life should be lived. A proverbial cataract of realness and meaning. A lead weight meant to keep down your true capabilities by keeping you pinned down with feelings that keep you vulnerable. Some may agree, some may not..._

"_Love is a word: love means to show feeling towards something more than anything else. Love means to kill for something. To die for something. Love means to have tender feelings towards another thing. A feeling of warm personal attachment towards something, whether you can have it or not. Some may agree, some may not..._

"_Love is something everyone will have: some people may have already experienced love, some people may think they have but they truly haven't, and some people have yet to experience it. Love is an amazing feeling, when experienced. But to lose it is to lose a part of you that cannot easily be filled again. It feels like dying. Some people don't mind it. Those are people who think they love but they don't. Some people are devastated by it. Those are people that have experienced it. Some people are afraid to love because they've lost love before. Some may agree, some may not...but there's one thing I'm sure everyone will agree on."_

_Idaten looked on, in awe of the truth that was apparent from these words this man spoke. He waited anxiously for the end of the man's speech._

_The man paused, deep in thought. He sighed a sigh of heavy sadness, and then said, "Love is Hell."_

* * *

Idaten wanted to smack himself for the stupid flashback. But as he continued to talk with Tigress, as he continued to let the night melt away with her, he saw that he would end up spending all of his adolescent years trying to win her heart, because the man at the market was wrong. Idaten finally understood love. It was this, and it overwhelmed his thoughts and mind, even after they stopped talking and went to bed. Love consumed him.

And he never felt so good.

* * *

By the time the night was over, they knew more about each other than they did about themselves. Like how Idaten knew her favorite flowers were peonies, but he had no idea what he liked. And how Tigress knew Idaten felt his only real talent lied in his voice, in the form of singing.

"Really, you can sing?" she asked giddily. "Can you sing me something?"

Idaten's face got visibly red, even from under his fur. "Um…sure, what do you want to hear?"

"Surprise me."

He thought about it. He remembered this old love song that he heard at a celebration for the birth of his village leader's first-born son long ago. He decided he'd sing that.

"Tián mì mì, nĭ xiào de tián mì mì, hăo xiàng huā r kāi zài chūn fēng lĭ…"

She giggled, which made him smile. Apparently, she knew the song, too, because she finished the line for him, "kāi zài chūn fēng lĭ."

Neither of the two tigers, as they conversed and sang, saw Grandmaster Oogway from the door to the bunkhouse, watching over them. He smiled to himself as he saw the beginning of a great friendship form. His vision had come true, and he could see the others falling into place behind this one. These two would be the best of inseparable friends for many years to come. He was absolutely sure of it.

* * *

Idaten quietly entered the guesthouse and slipped toward the back of the room, where the floor was open. It was nearly midnight, and the two had decided that if they stayed out any later, they'd probably get in trouble, so they departed until the next morning.

After rolling out his mat, he rested his body on top of it, anxious to get to sleep and dream of Tigress. He donned the widest smile he'd ever had the pleasure of smiling as he drifted off into unconsciousness.

* * *

Tigress snuck into her room. She was really glad she had tried to find Idaten after dinner. After talking to him for hours, she found that she really liked him. He was funny, sincere, honest, and a great singer. Nothing like any of the tiger boys in this area…

He was also REALLY attractive…he was a bit shorter than she liked, being three inches shorter than her, but he had a hardened body from half a decade of hard qigong training and eight years of kung fu training. As girls today would say, she thought he was positively hot…but unfortunately, not as much as his older brother. She had the biggest crush on Daichi since when she saw him in the line up.

She talked with Viper about it after dinner, but Viper told her that Daichi seemed like he was…different…from what she projected Idaten to be. Tigress just shrugged it off, and when Viper encouraged her to talk to Idaten, she did.

She stumbled around for something with which to light a candle. As she lit one of the candles and the warm light filled the dark room, she nearly dropped the candle and let out a muffled, frightened squeak as she saw Viper sitting in the corner of the room waiting for her.

"Don't do that!" she whispered fiercely when she could breathe right again.

"Well, how'd it go?" asked Viper, perhaps louder than she'd have liked. "I want to know everything!"

Tigress sat down on her mat on the floor, legs crossed. "Well," she started, "what constitutes everything?"

Viper pondered for a moment, then said, "what's he like?"

Tigress thought about that question. In reality, she knew what she wanted to say, but instead she decided on what she would say. "Picture the perfect nice guy. That's him."

"So…he's funny?"

"Hilarious."

"And nice?"

"My kind of nice, yeah."

"How does he look without a shirt?"

"Viper!"

"Right, right…how about modest?"

"Maybe a little too modest."

"Well, I'd date him if I were a tiger, I know that much." She smiled satisfactorily as her friend blushed and refused to respond to her statement. "What about Daichi?"

"I don't know. Idaten didn't really talk about him." Tigress wondered why. Maybe they fought a lot? She didn't know how right she was.

"Which one do you like?" Viper knew her friend had no experience in liking guys before, simply because no decent guys lived in the area.

Tigress really had no idea which one she'd pick. She'd never really liked anyone before. Being the only passable example of a decent tiger for miles was pretty much all the excuse she'd needed not to start taking an interest in guys like Viper had. Now that two very attractive tiger brothers just showed up on their doorstep, being a young teenager was finally kicking in for her, and she was completely overwhelmed with it.

"I think maybe I'll talk to Daichi tomorrow," she finally said. "Then I'll decide from there." Though she had no idea how old Daichi truly was, she had a feeling he was close to becoming a master. She also decided that Daichi's body was astoundingly…well, you know. She just figured she was into older guys.

"Fair enough," replied Viper as she slithered out the door. She poked her head back in momentarily, startling Tigress again. "Just remember, though. The look Idaten gave you was definitely one that meant if he has any feelings, they are completely sincere. And, he's actually your age." With that, she disappeared from sight.

Tigress shrugged off that last part. Who cares if he's older? Realizing what she said, she took it back. Rather than thinking about it, she let it go. _Why think about it? That's all I ever do is think the crap out of everything. _She blew out the candle, and fell asleep, and not surprisingly to her, but much to her satisfaction, Idaten was the only other person in her dreams that night.

* * *

That's it for now. More to come. Review! Review! Review! Big Brother is watching…always watching…


	4. Chapter 4

Feed a starving hobbyist. Will write more for a review…

Thanks again to KFP Reviewer, who has helped me to realize the fear of Tigress being off-character. I have something planned for it, though. Look forward to that in later chapters, assuming all goes well and they get written.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters, music, logos, etcetera. This is just for fun. This fanfiction is just that – fiction - and any resemblance to real people or places in real life is coincidental.

* * *

**LOVE DRUNK**

**Chapter 4**

As he sat in peaceful meditation, Oogway suddenly remembered something and frowned. Two weeks have passed since the arrival of Xiangmao and his students, and thus two weeks since Oogway asked Idaten to see his new skills at his scroll. Every time he asked the boy about it, he was busy. It took the old master until now to realize that the boy was putting it off very discreetly. The child was very nervous about the whole thing, and who wouldn't be? It's not every day that the person who created kung fu asks to see your skill at it.

As he got up from his meditation, he decided that now would be the time to analyze the boy's abilities. After all, Xiangmao announced that because of the terrible weather conditions, and the approaching signs of an early winter, they would be leaving the next day. The children had all planned to head into the village below for dinner, so he wanted to catch them before they departed.

He left the Sacred Hall of Warriors, wondering where the boy could possibly be. Though he may appear to know everything, the old master's time was winding down, and things came to him much slower and in fewer amounts than before. Looking around for Idaten could take forever, as there were many places on the grounds that he could be staked out at. He decided he'd ask someone that would know: Tigress. And he knew exactly where she was.

* * *

The training hall was nearly empty, much to Oogway's surprise, until he saw the sun directly above the earth and assumed they were all at lunch. That was when he heard the sound of splintering wood. He walked inside the hall and saw Master Xiangmao and Tigress. This didn't surprise him any. Xiangmao specialized in teaching Tiger style, and Shifu probably asked him to take some alone time with her to give her some pointers and help improve her style. It's not like she needed it, as just two weeks ago she became the first person to ever break one of the Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion. She didn't just break it, either. She made mulch out of it. Tigress eagerly accepted the extra help, constantly striving to be better, which also made Oogway frown.

Her insufferable need to improve, to become better and better until she simply can't progress anymore, then move onto something else. Almost like a virus, coming in and depleting the wonder of a technique by learning it quickly and effortlessly, then moving on to something else. The characteristics matched someone else. It almost hurt to say his name…

Tai Lung.

As Oogway observed Tigress and her progress in the arts since she arrived here from the Bau Gu Orphanage, he saw many similarities between the two felines. For one, they were both naturals at kung fu, and spent all of their time doing it. He also saw that they learned techniques easily, mastered them quickly, and performed them flawlessly. Oogway was almost certain that she would become the second student of Shifu's to master all 1000 Scrolls of Kung Fu. And, like Tai Lung before her, it wouldn't be enough for Tigress. Perhaps the most apparent, and most disturbing character flaw of Tai Lung's that Oogway painfully agreed that Tigress shared was why they did it. They did it for a sign of gratitude, a sign of appreciation, a sign of approval from their master. More importantly than that, they did it because they wanted him to show them something he never had before: love, like only a father could give.

Not to mention the fact that they were both stubborn, mean, persistent, and impossible to dissuade once they set their mind to something.

Oogway kicked himself of these silly ponderings and cognitive ramblings to approach Tigress in the hall. She bowed to him, fist in palm, and greeted him the way Shifu taught. Oogway simply smiled, and waited for her to rise up to a stand before continuing with his question.

"Idaten? Last I saw, he's down at the Battle Arena practicing with the bear."

That was perfect for Oogway, a chance to see the boy practice his style without making him nervous. He thanked a very confused Tigress quickly before hobbling as fast as his old legs could carry him down to the Battle Arena.

* * *

"Are you sure you're ready?" asked Medvèd.

"Never more so than now," replied a confident Idaten.

"All right…" Medvèd struck out with insane speed and strength, swinging his great paws at Idaten in a blinding fury of brown fur. You could almost hear his claws tearing apart imaginary flesh, making small enough chunks to be used at the noodle shop in-town. Idaten had no trouble dodging these strikes, much to Medvèd's surprise. After an attempt to bring his large paw down on top of Idaten's head failed, frustration clouded his senses after Idaten reached out and playfully slapped Medvèd's head with a lackadaisical, almost intoxicated movement.

The fight continued, Medvèd striking with furious speed and strength, but never once landing a hit. Idaten would dodge, duck, block, push away, and once he even just fell over to avoid a hit, all the while counterattacking quite effectively. Medvèd had never seen this technique before, and was stunned with the ease Idaten defended with, and the precision he attacked with. He was completely in awe, as was Master Oogway, who seemed to come out of nowhere, smiling and clapping.

Idaten was shocked. Had the old tortoise watched him? Quickly, his face got red beneath his fur, and he searched for a way out. Seeing none, he decided it was time to face the old master.

"Well done, my boy, well done!" Oogway finally reached the floor and the two boys, where Medvèd stood winded, and Idaten stood numb. "I had no idea you were so proficient in that scroll!"

To tell the truth, neither did Idaten. He practiced the scroll out of sight of everyone, and not even Master Xiangmao knew of his progress, nor did anyone else until now. Of course, Idaten's lack of self-confidence led him to believe he was bad, and not a soul could convince him otherwise.

"Thank you, Master," said Idaten with a quick bow," but I'm no good."

"Nonsense! That was the best display I've seen at your age for that style in many years. You have great potential to becoming a grand warrior."

Idaten marveled at the possibility of becoming great, or even just on par with his brother. "Really?"

"Certainly. Xiangmao will help you, as will your friends, I'm sure. Learning a style so rare as this definitely has its advantages, and earns approval from the martial arts community, no matter who is watching it. You could go on to master the fist form, and then possibly even to apply it to weapons…that would certainly be impressive to everyone, especially to Tigress…"

That was all he needed to hear.

* * *

The word echoed through the hall, and through the old master's head, like a firecracker going off right in your ear, and for the aging turtle, it hurt just as much: "Master!"

Oogway was not surprised to be disrupted from his meditation by his two former students. It happened so frequently during their youth that it almost felt at home to him now. Still, it had been a while since he had heard the two bickering, probably because Xiangmao had left the Jade Palace to start the Sān Zĭ Temple and School of Kung Fu. He almost regretted the two masters getting into contact. Returning his attention to their petty squabble, he believed he understood the basic idea of the argument. Apparently, they had gotten into an argument concerning their own students. Oogway sighed, then turned to face the two red pandas. "Yes?"

"Master," began Shifu, "I believe that the actions of Xiangmao's students are a negative influence toward mine."

"Oh?" said Oogway questioningly. "How so?"

"They aren't," snapped an obviously infuriated Xiangmao. "They just don't fit the mold of his perfect students."

"Xiangmao…" said Oogway with his soothing, sagely voice. Xiangmao immediately calmed down. "Now, Shifu…tell me what you feel is wrong."

His response was short and simple. "Daichi." This was met by an angered growl from Xiangmao.

"What has Daichi done?" asked Oogway questioningly.

"Well, nothing yet…but I worry that his and his brother's attitude will mislead my students and they will abandon the teachings we raised them with."

"That's utter bullshit!" Xiangmao's outburst was sudden, and erupted throughout the Hall of Warriors as if it were the voice of a displeased thunder god. "You can't blame Daichi or Idaten for something you _think _could happen."

Again, Oogway said his name, and Xiangmao's rage was abandoned out of respect for his master.

"Continue," said Oogway calmly to Shifu.

"The young one," continued Shifu, "is my greatest concern. He spends most of his free time with Tigress, and I simply do not want my prized student to be subject to such behavior."

Xiangmao was furious. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe your 'prized' student would start acting that way of her own will?"

"Did it ever occur to _you_," countered an equally furious Shifu, "that if you had raised your students correctly, this debacle would not be necessary?"

"They are just my students," said Xiangmao coldly. "They are not my children. It is not my responsibility to raise them!"

"You house them, do you not? They live with you, so it is your duty to bring them up as you see fit!"

"I house them only because they all wanted to be, or are foreign by scores of travel-days, or effectively orphaned by disownment!"

Oogway considered himself a patient tortoise and a calm soul, but it was at that point that he decided he had heard about all he cared to hear from the two. Timing it so it'd slip in between their exchange of put-downs and slanders, he uttered a forceful 'enough,' which stopped both masters of kung fu dead in their tracks. He paused while the noisy echoes escaped into silence, and all was quiet. He then spoke.

"I can see Shifu's point…" began Oogway. A faint smile started to form on Shifu's lips. "…but, Shifu, have you talked to any of Xiangmao's boys?"

The smile disappeared from Shifu's face. "Of course, Master."

"Which ones?"

"I spoke with Daichi earlier today while I trained with him. As I said, his attitude and the language with which he speaks are absolutely atrocious."

"Who else?"

"I spoke to the bear earlier in the week. He had little to say. I attempted conversation with the wolf, but he just outright refused to speak."

"And what about Idaten?"

Shifu seemed confused. "Who?"

"The younger tiger. The one who spends his time with Tigress. You 'greatest concern.'"

"Oh," replied Shifu, realizing who Oogway meant. "Him. Of course."

Xiangmao contained a low growl within his throat. How could Shifu accuse his students of foul behavior when he didn't know them, or even ever talk to them? Daichi, he could understand, but Idaten? The two were so different, and Xiangmao knew more than anyone that Idaten was nothing like his brother. He only hoped Oogway knew this as well.

"Well?" inquired Oogway as he waited for Shifu's lengthy pause to end.

Shifu looked down. "No, Master. I have not."

"No?"

"I have had little opportunity."

"Nonsense, you just never wanted to. And if that truly is the case, then how can you be so sure that he behaves how you fear he does?"

"I…I cannot be sure, Master."

"I know for a fact, Shifu, that Idaten is very much unlike his older brother, because I have talked to Idaten myself, and because I have seen his future in numerous visions since his arrival." Xiangmao was relieved to find that his master believed in Idaten the same as he did. Oogway continued, "talk to him, and I believe you will see the same. You are both dismissed."

The two bowed in perfect unison, a resonant "thank you, Master" escaping each of their lips. Shifu turned and left the Sacred Hall of Warriors, but Xiangmao was compelled to stay, compelled to ask. Xiangmao had always been interested in the future, intrigued by the unknown. He'd always marveled at how visions of what could be come to Oogway. Many a time had he experienced Oogway's future-tellings before, in his youth. He'd let his own imagination determine what the future may hold, usually…but Oogway knew the truth, and Xiangmao needed to know, too.

"Master?" asked Xiangmao softly.

"Yes, my friend?" Oogway was already deep in meditation, but not so deep that he could not carry on a conversation, apparently.

"You said about your vision involving Idaten. I just wanted to know-"

"-what becomes of him in the future."

Having Oogway finish his sentence for him startled Xiangmao, even if only a little.

"Yes, Master."

"I suppose you wouldn't be such a great master if you weren't concerned about your student enough to ask." The old master turned to face his student, a sad look upon his face as he looked to the floor. "From what I already understand, his childhood thus far has been plagued with many sadnesses."

"I suppose so," said Xiangmao, thinking of how Idaten's parents disowned him for wishing to study kung fu under Xiangmao. He knew that something wasn't right about that. How could someone disown their own child, which they gave birth to and tended to for so long, just for something like that? Xiangmao could not even understand how hard it must be for a child in Xiangmao's position. Those parents are all the child knew for their entire life, and to just cast them off to learn how to live by themselves prematurely? It seemed cruel…inhumane, torturous even.

"Unfortunately, he has not seen the last of them. More will come in waves to the boy, especially in early adulthood. He will, however, experience happiness at time between the dark times, to remind him of the light, and restore his will to move on."

Xiangmao was stunned by this news. "What will become of him?"

"That," said Oogway, "is up to him. Try to influence him more."

"What do you mean, Master?"

"Apart from his brother, who rarely takes an interest in him, the boy has no family at all. I'm asking you to be a father to him, Xiangmao. Perhaps if you do, there will be hope for his soul, and in the end, it can be saved…"

Xiangmao was clueless as to what Oogway meant by that last bit. Hope for his soul? What would happen? Would he turn evil? Become possessed? Die? What?

"I don't understand, Master…hope for his soul? What do you mean? Save his soul from what?"

Oogway looked straight into Xiangmao's eyes with a look so horrifying, Xiangmao saw it for weeks afterward. He wasn't expecting what he heard next.

"His brother."

* * *

Idaten barely could touch his food. As he sat by the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, he wondered how he could accomplish progressing in a style that nobody could show him. He followed the diagrams and illustrations on the scroll, but they could only show him so much. The words were needed. But that was impossible for him.

Since he couldn't eat, he decided he'd go find his brother. Meandering across the training grounds and coming up completely unsuccessful, he went back to the guesthouse to ask Master Xiangmao if he knew where Daichi was. Idaten found not his tiny master there, but his brother, doing the last thing he expected Daichi to be doing during the perfect training hours of the daylight: writing.

"Hello, brother," said Idaten as he strolled across the room to Daichi's spot behind the desk. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing, Idaten," said Daichi distractedly. "Just writing a letter." Daichi was focused solely on the letter, and didn't even look away from the letter to dip his brush in the ink. Instinct just guided his brush to the bottle, and allowed him to continue writing effortlessly.

"Who is it you're writing to?" asked Idaten, puzzled.

Daichi broke his gaze from the letter only for a moment to turn and look at Idaten with an irritated look on his face. "Can't you tell?"

Idaten looked at the recipient on the parchment, and squinted. He shook his head to signify he didn't know.

Daichi sighed and turned back around in his seat. "This letter is addressed to Mama and Baba, Idaten.

Idaten felt his heart drop into his stomach. He hadn't realized it, but today was the anniversary of what he called 'The Occurrence.' It was the seventh anniversary, to be exact, of Idaten's father literally throwing him outside of their house. He remembered it well…perhaps too well.

Idaten ran from the guesthouse, feeling sick, like he was going to throw up. Thinking of that time in his life was a terrible crime to him, and he was going to punish his rebellious thoughts with more training and hard qigong. No matter how much he hated it, the thoughts and memories just kept coming, forcing him to engage in torturous reminiscences. It was just one of those things that saddened him, that made him feel that life was sometimes not worth living. No family to love him, no talent in the one thing he spent his entire life working on, and no approval from his brother just made him hate waking up, and beg for sleep every night that rarely ever comes.

Recently, however, he has found a new light. Actually, as of two weeks ago, he has found a new light, in the form of a new friend. He ran into her, quite literally, on the way out of the guesthouse, both of them falling over and into the soft grass. Her laugh made him forget all the sadness, all the regret, all the hatred and rage and fear he had accumulated over the years. As they sat there in the grass, laughing and teasing each other, he looked at her face, and all the negative energy he felt just…melted away. All the thanks went to this new light.

Her name was Tigress. She was every reason why he woke up now, every reason why he longed to dream at night. And there was one thing he knew for sure…

He'd fight to the death for that.

* * *

Well, as before, you know what to do. Review, review, review! Then wait, wait, wait! Then read the next chapter, chapter, chapter! The next one will be better, better, better!

I promise.


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